tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post1518056129490170238..comments2015-07-22T01:12:07.508-04:00Comments on Debunking Christianity: Five of the Best Contemporary Books for the Non-BelieverDr. Hector Avaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10840869326406664177noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-87915144322984330552010-09-01T20:57:59.302-04:002010-09-01T20:57:59.302-04:00Pink monkey, thanks so much for your encouragement...Pink monkey, thanks so much for your encouragement. It means a lot to me. I am chased by a lot of idiots and am at a loss how to properly respond. But you kick ass.John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-47602246148097007062010-09-01T19:55:43.271-04:002010-09-01T19:55:43.271-04:00^^And it&#39;s been a pleasure to watch John. Scre...^^And it&#39;s been a pleasure to watch John. Screw these idiots. Good Job. Watching you grow has been an inspiration. While the &quot;negatives&quot; here have continued just commenting, you have begun to establish yourself as a force to be reckoned w/ in forums other than your blog. Sorry I can&#39;t say the same about your detractors. Haters.pink_monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18001056020421447516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-14235071626279667442010-08-30T13:16:26.076-04:002010-08-30T13:16:26.076-04:00Raul, this is not false humility at all when it co...Raul, this is not false humility at all when it comes to being known around the world. They are. I&#39;m not.<br /><br />But I&#39;m gaining! Maybe some day, who knows?John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-83961341670611565482010-08-30T13:06:29.700-04:002010-08-30T13:06:29.700-04:00&gt;Compared to Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Victo...&gt;Compared to Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Victor Stenger, and Daniel Dennett, I&#39;m a nobody. I really am.<br /> Ah,come on,John. You&#39;re an expert in the field of religion and have three master&#39;s degrees to prove it too. There&#39;s no need for false humility. :)Raulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07044923386251931322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-89895408562026605892010-08-30T07:57:46.897-04:002010-08-30T07:57:46.897-04:00I&#39;ve only read The God Delusion and God: The F...I&#39;ve only read <i>The God Delusion</i> and <i>God: The Failed Hypothesis</i> from that list.<br /><br />But hey, you&#39;re listed as <i>number one</i>!<br /><br />Looks like I&#39;ve got some catching up to do concerning your book.Urukhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05913837011380611461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-76202289619750702262010-08-30T07:47:24.574-04:002010-08-30T07:47:24.574-04:00BDK and Nocterro, I think the reason my magnum opu...BDK and Nocterro, I think the reason my magnum opus tops several lists of both popular AND scholarly atheist book recommendations is because my book is scholarly but understandable to the college student. That was my goal.John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-44938809152273265852010-08-30T07:38:27.109-04:002010-08-30T07:38:27.109-04:00Nocterro, it is what it is. It always is.
As an a...Nocterro, it is what it is. It always is.<br /><br />As an author you would like any list of books where yours bests that of worldwide bestsellers in the same genre. I know you would.<br /><br />Nonetheless some people do compare my book to Graham Oppy&#39;s and place mine above his. Don&#39;t believe me? <a href="http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=3545#comment-15736" rel="nofollow">Then check this out</a>, where my book was ranked the best atheist book of the decade. The so-called New Atheist books did not even rank.<br /><br />But that list is what it is too.John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-5125481767589549732010-08-30T07:08:23.180-04:002010-08-30T07:08:23.180-04:00@John Loftus:
Although I have not read your book,...@John Loftus:<br /><br />Although I have not read your book, I have read all of the other books on this list - and quite frankly, they&#39;re terrible.<br /><br />I don&#39;t think you should be happy that you&#39;re on such a list, as these other books might make you look bad by association. Imagine if you were a theist, and you saw your book on a list with Kent Hovind and Ray Comfort; you would probably be disappointed, not happy about it.<br /><br />Books like &quot;Arguing about Gods&quot; by Graham Oppy, and &quot;Logic and Theism&quot; by J.H. Sobel are light years ahead of Dawkins et al. Being put on a list with them would be something to be proud of.Nocterrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01045208683275024610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-84741810889688786902010-08-30T06:53:31.596-04:002010-08-30T06:53:31.596-04:00Good morning! Thanks for your kind thoughts.
BDK...Good morning! Thanks for your kind thoughts. <br /><br />BDK, yes, we should always consider the source of any book recommendations. I know you don&#39;t think much of my work so it&#39;s understandable you would want to find fault with the listmaker while I slept. Care to do the same <a href="http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-i-became-atheist.html" rel="nofollow">with these recommendations?</a>John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-18612625441286263152010-08-30T05:36:27.844-04:002010-08-30T05:36:27.844-04:00Hi Papalinton
No problem, good to see other peop...Hi Papalinton <br /><br />No problem, good to see other people also having a Monday Moment. <br /><br />I think John has a lot to feel proud about, and I think he should move on from seeing himself as playing in the B team.mindyourmindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11002628037154288374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-57321924948947159542010-08-30T05:32:26.412-04:002010-08-30T05:32:26.412-04:00Hi mindyourmind
It might be that I&#39;m typing to...Hi mindyourmind<br />It might be that I&#39;m typing too slow to make any sense, mym :-)<br />Whatever my comment tried to communicate, it was not a criticism of yours. <br />I live squillions of kilometres from John on the other side of the globe, but I know him, I have his books, and, to me, he is FAMOUS. Funnily enough, a few years ago, when atheism became a serious business for me, I picked up about a half-dozen books, of which WIBA was one, and read them voraciously, and within about 6 weeks consumed about 30 decent books on atheism [Dennett, Stenger, Barker, Hitchens, Harris, Dawkins plus.plus,plus.]<br /><br />You know what, mym? I think I totally misread your first sentence, or at least placed a different interpretation to it. My mistake. Forgive me and please don&#39;t hit too hard; I bruise easy.<br />CheersPapalintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818630173726146048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-71790884438453109412010-08-30T04:06:26.553-04:002010-08-30T04:06:26.553-04:00Papalinton
Now you have me confused. John says th...Papalinton<br /><br />Now you have me confused. John says that he has been mentioned on this list, and that he is not worthy. I disagree with that, pointing out the differences between them and why I say that it is a good comparison. You disagree with what I said. <br /><br />Why exactly? I expressed my opinion on John&#39;s comment and I have not disagreed with one thing you had to say. We both accept that John believes that he does not deserve to be on the list, we both compliment him on being on there.<br /><br />Maybe it&#39;s a Monday thing on my side but your post does not make sense (to me at least). <br /><br />Type slowly so that I can understand :)mindyourmindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11002628037154288374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-22486744558710745412010-08-30T04:01:00.688-04:002010-08-30T04:01:00.688-04:00Hi Mindyourmind
I have to sadly disagree with your...Hi Mindyourmind<br />I have to sadly disagree with your comment to John, even though your comment is complimentary. Reread John&#39;s introductory comment and I think you will find that he is quite self-deprecating in not placing himself in the same league as the others. Nonetheless, someone has considered his contribution to be worthy of mention in the list; and to that I say, &#39;bloody goodluck to you, John. You deserve it.&#39;<br />CheersPapalintonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03818630173726146048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-28854299513880260282010-08-30T03:03:35.571-04:002010-08-30T03:03:35.571-04:00Blue Devil Knight -
I&#39;m not sure I follow you...Blue Devil Knight -<br /><br />I&#39;m not sure I follow your argument. Let&#39;s assume that the article is a mill, and even that it is done with selfish or even malicious intent - how does that affect the contents of the list, the fact that these five books were chosen?mindyourmindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11002628037154288374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-59304675131589998932010-08-30T03:01:09.670-04:002010-08-30T03:01:09.670-04:00Congratulations, John.
I have to disagree with y...Congratulations, John. <br /><br />I have to disagree with you somewhat on how well known you are, as I see it as a bit of an apples and oranges situation. Of course Dawkins et all have the publicity machine going for them, and that is a good thing. I suppose most media people in the mainstream debate would ask &quot;John who&quot; at this stage.<br /><br />But if the efforts at breaking free from irrationality are to be a lasting and successful labour then we also need the backroom boys, the truly academically educated ones, the ones who have turned back from the darkness of superstition, the ones writing the harder material, the material that will stand the test of time. <br /><br />And it is on that playing field that I think Dawkins and Friends can regard it as a bit of a compliment to be on the same list as you are ;)mindyourmindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11002628037154288374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-46627244753087327452010-08-29T23:56:33.161-04:002010-08-29T23:56:33.161-04:00I personally like her recent article on Reike Heal...I personally like her recent article on <a href="http://www.reikigoddessblog.com/2010/07/reiki-healing-for-chronic-illness-pain.html" rel="nofollow">Reike Healing</a> and discussion of Jesus, whom she calls the Son of God, <a href="http://www.gregoryswaddell.com/dr-greg-waddell/leadership/241-him-who-is-chief-become-as-the-servant" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />I call BS on this Alexis Bonari. She doesn&#39;t exist. I&#39;m leanign toward atheism wrt Alexis Bonari.<br /><br />Folks, when people ask to write guest posts at your blogs, use a little bit of critical thinking. Yes, it is flattering, but think about it. Research the person a little bit. Do you know them? Have they ever contributed useful comments to your blog before? Have you heard of the person? Do they insist on a link to an obviously commercial site?<br /><br />I&#39;d expect more from the skeptics frankly :)Blue Devil Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045468316613818510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-31518636049962129182010-08-29T23:42:24.859-04:002010-08-29T23:42:24.859-04:00Alexis Bonari writes guest blogs on any site that ...Alexis Bonari writes guest blogs on any site that will take them to get links to a degree mill web site she promotes. Not sure she is a real person: in the past week alone Google shows over 150 articles at various blogs, topics ranging from vintage movie theater candy to maintaining one&#39;s sex life after kids. She is either the most prolific blogger in the world, or is sucking in lots of links to degree mill and &#39;scholarship&#39; sites.<br /><br />At any rate, congratulations. I think.Blue Devil Knighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045468316613818510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-84421735382926743042010-08-29T22:33:06.136-04:002010-08-29T22:33:06.136-04:00Thanks Dude.Thanks Dude.John W. Loftushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13565890121197051580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21219785.post-84179991438149848532010-08-29T22:00:51.789-04:002010-08-29T22:00:51.789-04:00@John,
You have no idea how much I respect you an...@John,<br /><br />You have no idea how much I respect you and your work. You so impress me with your knowledge of the Bible and of the Christianties and how truly harmful it is. I have learned a lot from you.<br /><br />At one point Hitchens (my favorite!) was not well known. You rate among the best. It only will take time.<br /><br />Keep posting. Keep being a good person. Keep debating.Dude, I'm Freehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10415464610247891387noreply@blogger.com